Skid platform



March 22, 1949. J. E. COONEN 2,465,148

SKID lPLATFORM Filed sept. 21, 1944 4V f :P- 1f 'fk/.ml I' Tl :a y| IHM lllmnf' I 'f Patented Mar. 22, 1949 U-IJfITEBl STATES PATENT GFFICE.

SK-ID PLATFGRM:

James E. Goonen, Nenah,.Wis.

Applicationsptember 21, 19.44; SierilN'o; 5555176' 2 Claims.

This: invention. relatesto: improvements-1 in skid. platforms; and: more particularlyfto a. skidY plate form ,provided j with: Wheeledt or antifitiction (supporting: means to1permitaeasyrolling propulsion` of".` the skid? platforml when itis turned onto an' edge@ Skid: platformsv are customarily used in fao:- tories for' receivingv finished. or partially finished products; from variousfmarchines or assembly lines'l Aftera skidl platform hasbeenloaded'with suchV products ormaterial; .the skidI platform isengaged by'a wheeled dolly, whereupon the Wheeledv dolly; with the-.loaded skidpplatform thereon, isI pulled away toza storage,A unloading, or. packing station. After atransferred skid platform hasl been un loaded, itl may-beY left at? thevunloadi'ng station, orf itslmay beV moved to4 another temporaryv loca-l tion'r and "itis the usual'practice toA turn unloadedl platforms onto their'side edges.A When 'an`r unloadedv skid platform thus' disposed is subse quently to be moved to anotherv point for use', it, is' thee practice to push or slide it' along theoor on its side edge until thepoint oi" use is reached, whereupon it isagfain turned'toahorizontal positionv for loading.' It -is-vquite'x inconr vement' and: difficult to move an unloaded skid' platform by sliding' itiv along its edge, and l this f is particularlyftrueif the-floor: is rough, orrif-f the" sideA edge of*A the skid' platform i'slikewise rough;

Withf theforegoing in'- m-in'diitf isf, therefore, a' primary. obj 'ectof-"thef present invention-l to overcome. the dieulties mentioned byV providing a`- skid platform having mounted? ini itsedge po'rm tions', wheeled.' or anti-friction supporting' 'meanswhi'oh come into-.effective positiorrfor easyrollingVy propulsion. of theskidi' platform= only when thev skid platform-ls turned onto aside-edge orl end Skid platforms ofy the typewith'whichth'e present invention is concerned, are'formed With angle iron, side'and end fra-me members which are ap't'fv to= be or= become relatively rough and: sharp; These roughfor sharp angle iron frame members off' a skidv platform f present# a hazard to' thevvo'rl-4 ersf'who are apt to bodily contact' rough orsh'arp skidedge portions andinjurethemselves;` or their clothing.. The skid platform of the present ifr`r vention contemplates the reduction offthis hazard* by the mounting ofv outwardly projecting herr-- zontally disposed rollers or wheels alongfperiph-Y eral portions'y ofthe" skid? platformI frame,- which outwardly projecting., l'rorizontally disposed Yrollers dr wheels,- besides serving as anti-friction.means-` for-'the propulsiony ofi a skidlpl'at/formturnedv onto edge;. serve as.v 'smooth` protective' bumpers; or!

I?V A further object of the invention. is to provide a skidA platform equipped with wheeled or anti friction supporting: means effective for the pro pulsion of the skid platform when the same; is

1 turnedonto an edgegobviating the normal practice-of slidingfaskid'platform from place to place', and prevent-ingithe; floorsofithe building. in Whichthe; skid platform isv usedv from. being vgouged` on otherwisey damagedormarred, and also saving?. weapon the: edgeportions of the skidl platform;

In conventionalv skid: platforms, bolts arev uti'-- lized inl the fran'xeworlr,7 and the anged upper. extremities oft. supportinglegs are connected to portions: ofI the: skid: platform frame. by bolts,v the bolts beingi perpendicular to thev plane of.' the platform. Amoreispecific object of the presenti invention is to utilizeicer'tainiofthe skid platform bolts. mentionedasfaxes for vhorizontally. disposed rollersi orwhe'els;.i1r addition to' the normali.func:-v

' tionsfof'sai'd bolts;

Afurther. objecti of: theinvention z is to provide az. skid. pl atform. which isn very little more expensive-to vlrrar-rufactureithan' a standard skid plat'- form, but .which possesses many advantagesy over: thezstandard skidl'platform', and may be used with a=rr1nchv greater degree. of'V facility andA safety.

A furtherl obj-ectl of: the' invention is to provide a skid platform which is of very simple construe-- tion,.is strong" and'A durable, is easy to manipulate andhandle; andis well adapted for the purposes described.

With the abovel and other objects in view, thev inventionl consists off' the. improved' skid platform, andfits parts and? combinations, as set forth inv the claims, and all equivalents thereof;

In the acr'zompanying`v drawing, in which the` samev reference characters indicate thesame parts in allofithe views:

Fig. 1- is aside View-of the improved skidy platform;

Fig. 2`1is= anend view thereof;

Fig. 3- is-a top 'plan Viewiof the improved skid? platform;

Fig, 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, detail, sec'-4 tional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig: 5-is afragment'ary side View of an alternative form of." the skid platform showing the man-- ner in which-thepresent improvements are embodied thereini Referring more particularly to theform of skid platformshown in lilies;` 1 to il; inclusive5 itW'ill' appeary that the skid" platform frame comprises apairf of`space'd`r longitudinally extending angler iron members 8" between the depending' side ilard'sxwhen theiskldplatformisfifranyfpositiom flanges' of' Wllilc'hz are extended: closely adjacent transverse platform planks 8. The top portions of the planks 9 are recessed, as at I0, to receive the top flanges of the angle iron members 8, providing a flush top surface for the platform. The ends of the frame are closed by transverse angle iron plates II whose lower horizontal anges seat in recesses I2 extending across the bottom surface portions of the end planks 9. Longitudinal angle iron members I3 underlie and are clamped against bottom portions of the planks 9 by means to be referred to hereinafter.

The skid platform portion described, when in normal use, is adapted to be disposed horizontally, and is elevated from the ground or floor by means of a plurality of substantially V-shaped legs I4, whose upper flanged extremities are rigidly secured to the longitudinal angle iron members I3. Some of the securing means for the legs Ill comprise standard screw bolts I5, While the other securing means for the legs comprise modified screw bolts IB. The latter, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, engage the leg flanges adjacent the corners of the platform.

The top flanges of the angle iron members 8 have counter-sunk openings to receive the heads of the bolts I5 and I6 and all of the bolts are perpendicular to the plane of the platform proper and have their shanks extended through certain of the planks and the top flanges of the longitudinal bottom angle iron members I3. The threaded lower extremities of the bolts also pass through openings in the leg flanges and carry nuts I 1. Thus, all of the bolts serve to clamp the angle iron members 8 and I3 to opposite faces of the planks 9 and also secure the legs I4 to the composite platform.

The modified bolts I6 heretofore referred to have the major portions of their shanks of substantial diameter. The lower end portions of these bolts I6 are reduced and shouldered as=at I8 with said shouldered portions abutting the top surfaces of the bottom longitudinal angle.

iron members I3 and with the reduced portions of the bolts extending through the top flanges of the angle iron members and through the flanges of the legs I4 close to the ends of the skid platform.

In the form of skid platform shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the legs I4 are disposed relatively close to the ends or corner portions of the skid platform, and hence the bolts I6 are disposed relatively close to the platform corners. The platform corners are recessed as at I8 to accommodate rollers or wheels 20. These Wheels or rollers 28 are normally horizontally disposed and are revolubly mounted on the enlarged shank portions of the bolts IB, which shank portions serve as axes for the wheels or rollers which are free to revolve in the corner recesses I9. The wheels or rollers 20 are so arranged that their peripheral portions project outwardly of their recesses and beyond the outer walls of the sides and ends of the platform.

The improved skid platform is used in its ordinary manner in a horizontal position, elevated from the floor or ground by the supporting legs I4, and the flat platform or table receives products from machines or assembly lines. When a loaded skid platform is to be transported to another point, a wheeled dolly is engaged thereunder, elevating the skid platform, and the skid platform is trans-ported to another location by the dolly, whereupon it is disengaged from the dolly and emptied.

It is the practicen'toturn empty skid platforms to an angle of 90 from their normal position onto an edge for temporary storage, or for removal to another point. When this is practiced, a pair of wheels or rollers 20 on the side of the skid platform on Which the platform is turned, then come into play to provide rolling support for the tilted skid platform to permit its being readily rolled to another location. The rolling propulsion of the skid platform thus afforded, makes' the skid platform very easy to move, prevents wear on the edge of the skid platform, and prevents abrasive action with respect to the floor or supporting surface. In any position of the skid platform, the laterally projecting peripheral portions of the wheels or lrollers 2U also serve as bumpers or guards to prevent Workers from bodily contacting the skid platform.

It is of course appreciated that skid platforms are customarily provided in various sizes, shapes and proportions, depending upon the service to which they are to be put. In skid platforms which are relatively elongated, it is the practice to mount the supporting legs more inwardly from the ends or corners of the platform than is the case with respect to a shorter skid platform of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. Fig. 5 illustrates a relatively long skid platform wherein the supporting legs I4 are somewhat removed from the ends or corners of the platform. When this condition prevails, standard bolts I5 are utilized for the securement of the f-rame elements and the mounting of the legs I4. However, adjacent the corner portions of the skid platform which have horizontal recesses I9 formed therein, modified bolts I6 extend through the angle iron members 8 and I3', also passing through the central portions of the recesses I9. These modified bolts I6', besides serving as connecting means for the frame elements, have their enlarged shank portions serve as axes for wheels 20' in the same manner as in the principal form of the invention.

While several exemplications of the invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that they are merely by way of illustration, and in its broader aspects, the invention contemplates the application of outwardly projecting wheels or anti-friction supporting means to any desired peripheral portions of the elevated platform or table portion of the skid platform, with the wheels or anti-friction supporting means being inactive in the normal horizontal position of the skid platform but adapted to rollingly support the skid platform when it is turned upright onto an edge provided with the rolling supporting means. It is not essential that the wheel recesses and the wheels or rollers be located at the corners of the skid platform, but in the exemplification illustrated, the arrangement is especially desirable because then, as the platform is turned onto any edge whatsoever, it Will nevertheless be supported for rolling propulsion.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the improved skid platform is of simple and novel construction, is economical to produce, and the construction thereof is such as to facilitate and enhance the normal use of the skid platform.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a skid platform having a normally horizontally disposed fiat, quadrilateral table with recesses in all of its cornei` portions opening into adjacent right angularly related edge portions, the table including a compositemframe, rollers,

4said roller axes additionally aiding in the mounting of the legs on the underside of the frame, said rollers permitting rolling propulsion of the skid platform when it is turned onto any of its edges.

2. In a at, leg-supported, quadrilateral platform with the platform normally disposed hori- 1 zontally and elevated from a oor by the legs, anti-friction members movably mounted in at least two diagonally opposite corner portions of the platform and each projecting beyond adjacent right angularly related peripheral portions of the platform and elevated above and out of contact with the oor in the normal position oi the platform, said anti-friction members adapted for floor contact to facilitate rolling propulsion of the platform when it is turned onto any edge.

JAMES E. COONE'N.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Number Name Date 970,137 Thomas Sept. 13, 1910 1,575,462 Stuebing Mar. 2, 1926 1,698,029 Shepard et al Jan. 8, 1929 1,832,770 Hallowell Nov. 17, 1931 

